Pokeshipping Popcorn
by Lightning Type
Summary: A compilation of several Pokeshipping drabbles written on my Tumblr. Ash/Misty, obviously, why else would I say it's Pokeshipping? Assorted other characters/pairings because I do what I want for the sake of humor. Now updated with Pokeshipping Week 2017 prompts!
1. Misc Prompts

Drabbles and whatnot for Pokeshipping written on Tumblr. No set canon, they're just kind of all over the place, as evidenced by the sporadic other ships. Linebreaks separate the drabbles, while an underscore (_) denote breaks within a particular drabble.

I'll probably upload any more done for Pokeshipping Week once it's done, since I've written some for that, too.

(And yes, I'm still working on Cloudburst, these were done off-and-on to help keep my mood/writing abilities.)

Rated T for references to sexual things and what-have-you.

* * *

Kiss

Ash Ketchum, aspiring Pokemon Master, was violently jostled awake from an afternoon nap by his girlfriend, Misty. The redhead gradually came into view as his senses caught up with him. "Wazzgoingon?" he yawned.

"Can you tell what's different about me?" Misty beamed.

Ash paused. This had to be a trap. This question was always a trap. He looked over her very carefully, his heart sinking as nothing stood out against his memory. Yet he attempted anyways.

"Haircut?"

"No~"

 _Shit_. "New makeup?"

"Also no."

"New outfit?"

"Wrong again."

He was running out of options here. "Er… new shoes?"

Misty rolled her eyes with a sigh, then seized him by his shirt collar and pulled him into a deep and very fruity-tasting kiss. When they finally came up for air she shoved him back onto the couch, face bright pink. "New lip balm."

"Oh," remarked Ash, surprised and dazed but very pleased she hadn't reacted more angrily. He stared up at her for a moment, then said, "Can I taste it again?"

The couch was not vacated for almost an hour.

* * *

Date Night

"Thanks for taking me to the carnival tonight," Misty says, beaming over the top of the giant plush Wailord in her arms.

"Oh… yeah, no problem." replies Ash, hastily slipping something back into his pocket. He hopes that Misty didn't see it, but she doesn't appear to, mainly because she's just spotted a vendor selling cotton candy.

The sun gradually dips towards the horizon, lanterns flickering on to cut through the warm summer evening. Misty jumps from booth to booth, picking up prizes and sweets at every moment she can. She can't help but notice Ash lagging behind and looking like he'd rather be doing something else…

All too soon, it's time to go, and they past through the gates alongside the other patrons. It's not until Ash offers to carry her Wailord plush that Misty decides to ask what's been bothering him.

"Oh." He turns very uncomfortable and doesn't meet her eyes. "Well… there was a League Championship going on, and I wanted to… y'know, see what was going on…"

He risks a glance over at Misty; she's wearing a frown (never a good sign) but there's not as much malice behind her eyes as usual. They walk in silence for a minute or two, Ash's insides squirming in discomfort the entire time.

Finally, Misty says, "Next time, if you want to stay home to watch the League, just ask."

Ash nods, internally flinching at the curtness in her voice.

"But I appreciate you taking me out tonight anyways," she says, linking their arms together before kissing him on the cheek. "Maybe you're finally growing up."

"I'm grown up." Ash says, indignant.

"Uh-huh…"

* * *

Sleeping Together (not a couple yet)

"Mist, d'you need anything?" asks Ash, picking up the empty lunch tray off the floor.

Misty, lying in Ash's bed with a bad fever, shakes her head. A damp cloth rests on her forehead, the dripping water mingling with her sweat. Her face is flushed, clashing with her curtain of flame-orange hair.

"Okay," says Ash. "I'm gonna get you more water, though."

She nods at him in response and closes her eyes to try and rest. Ash slips out of the room and heads to the kitchen, swapping out the tray for a fresh glass of water. When he comes back he finds that some of the blankets have been kicked off the bed.

"Got too hot," Misty pants, noticing his bemused expression. She adjusts the overly large t-shirt she's wearing, lifting it off of her sweaty skin. "Can't nap if it's too hot."

Ash nods, attempting to remember the last time he was this sick. He fails. "Alright. I'll just let you sleep–"

"Stay here." Misty cuts in. "Keep me company."

"Yesterday you said the last thing you needed when you were sick was me hanging around."

"Changed my mind," she says, her voice slightly hoarse. "It's boring being all alone."

Ash shrugs and sits on the floor. They attempt a conversation but Misty doesn't have the stamina for it so Ash plucks a book off his desk and reads her a story instead. After two or three Misty falls asleep; Ash thinks about ducking out but his loyalty kicks in so he stays in the room.

He can't quite remember falling asleep, though, which confuses him greatly when he ends up waking up in his own bed. In one heart-pounding moment he stresses about Misty but feels something warm pressed up against his back. Glancing behind him he sees her, still slightly feverish but in a deep sleep.

"G'night Mist," he says, pulling the blankets up over them both before drifting off again.

* * *

Locked in a Closet

Not for the first time, an argument shatters the peace and quiet in the Pokemon Center.

"I so did not, and you know it–"

"You so did too, and you're shirking responsibility–"

"They're at it again," Dawn says.

"I've had it with them," snaps May, striding over to the door and wrenching it open. Ash and Misty are standing in the hallway, talking over each other and oblivious to their friend's appearance.

"You two," May says, grabbing their arms. "Inside. Now." And she pushes them into the room, Dawn quickly striding past them. The two girls shut the door and lock it with their key.

"The door opens out, y'know," they hear Misty say.

"We're gonna sit in front of it until you two literally kiss and make up," says Dawn. "Er, out. Whatever. Point is, you ruined our fun, so you're not coming out until you've had yours."

"This is the weirdest punishment ever," Misty snarls before turning back to continue her disagreement with Ash.  
_

"It's been four hours," Ash observes, lying on the bed. "They're not letting us out."

"Thank you, professor," Misty shoots back, unsuccessful in her attempts to open the door. She's quite sure she hears moaning and giggling on the other side and attempts to ignore it.

"Maybe we should just do what they said."

"Please, I'm not kissing you." says Misty much too quickly, turning away so he doesn't see her turning red.

"C'mon," says Ash, sliding off the bed. "Just one quick one, then we can put it behind us–"

"A quick one," Misty emphasizes, still glowing like a live coal. "Then we tell them we did it so we can leave."

Ash nods and Misty hopes he feels even half as nervous as she is right now. They step closer, so close they can see their reflections in the other's eyes. Everything's gone quiet except for Misty's heart pounding in her chest. They're inches apart… they can feel the other's breath on them…

And then their lips touch, and everything else melts away. Misty's mind explodes in endorphins and half-dazzed, she tries to remember what they were so angry about in the first place…

Then all too soon he's pulling back, his face rapidly turning pink. They catch each other's eye and quickly turn away. Then they look at each other again.

"Um," says Ash. "One more wouldn't hurt?"

 _Wait, what_? "… Okay."  
_

May presses her ear up against the door and smiles at Dawn. "It worked!"

"How the hell did it work," Dawn ponders, torn between curiosity and amusement.

"Who cares." May says, grabbing the other girl's hand and leading her away. "C'mon, let's give them some privacy and find more for us."

* * *

Dancing Together

Misty loves dancing. You name it, she'll try it. Even if it's just spur-of-the-moment movement when listening to CDs at home, she'll do it.

Ash, on the other hand, hates dancing. Mainly because he _can't_ and he's notoriously tone-deaf so it's very difficult for him to move without squishing Misty's feet.

So when Misty wants to try a ballroom dancing competition, Ash panics: "You really can't expect us to win."

"No," she says. "But it'll be fun anyways."

Ash doubts that, but says nothing. He's going to have to figure something out, and soon.

The weeks flash by, and eventually it's the night of the competition. The head judge asks for all of the competitors to take their places on the floor, so Ash in his suit and Misty in her gown pair up, numbers pinned to their backs.

Misty's not expecting much, so when the music starts up and Ash is actually _in rhythm_ she's shocked beyond belief.

"What… how?!" she whispers in his ear, but he just shakes his head as they go on. This nettles her but they might actually have a chance now so she tries to focus.

They end up making it to the quarter-finals before being eliminated, but Misty is extremely pleased regardless, especially since Ash performed well past her expectations.

"Okay, fess up," she says as they walk out of the building. "How did you get so good?"

Ash kicks at a pebble before taking a deep breath and looking up at her. "Well… I knew this was important to you, so… so I got Brock to teach me."

The image of her two oldest friends dancing together is too much and Misty breaks down laughing, clutching her stomach as tears leak out of her eyes. After a few minutes, she straightens up, smiling with the force for a million suns and hugs Ash so tight he thinks his ribs are going to break in half.

Secretly he hopes he'll never have to do it again, but relents when Misty signs them up for weekly classes and monthly competitions.

If it means seeing her smile like that again each time then it's worth it to him.

* * *

Protecting Each Other

"You always protect me from Bug Pokemon," Misty says as Ash has Pikachu drive off a swarm of Pinsir with Thunderbolt. "I should be keeping you safe from something."

"What would I need protecting from?" Ash asks, somewhat indignant.

"Yourself," replies Misty almost immediately. She smirks at the sight of his frown. "Seriously, if it weren't for Brock and I, you'd've been dead years ago."

Ash pouts but says nothing. Eventually he pipes up, "You could protect me from healthy foods."

"Oh, no, no, no," says Misty, waving a finger in his face. "You can't live off hamburgers and ice cream every day. A serving of fruit or vegetables a day won't kill you."

"Broccoli is a vile weed."

"I'll save you if you choke on it," Misty smiles, and Ash briefly thinks that stomaching it would be worth it in that case.

* * *

Realization

"When did you realize you liked me?" asks Ash one night as he and Misty set up a tent.

Misty doesn't answer right away, focusing instead on getting the last pole set up. "Well," she says finally. "Probably when I had to go back to the Gym after the Silver Conference."

Ash nods in understanding. "I was just curious, I was thinking about all the people who can't see why we're together."

"Mm," Misty doesn't like giving much thought to that, so she shifts the conversation. "What about you? When did you realize you liked me?"

"Around the same time, I think. Although," he grins suddenly. "It probably had more to do with you wearing those short shorts and everything."

As flattered as Misty is, she bars him from sleeping in the tent that night.

* * *

Milotic

"Ash," says Misty one day as they're out walking through Cerulean City. "If you had to compare me to a Pokemon, which one would you pick?"

A chill flashes through Ash's veins. He knows that whatever he answers, he has to choose carefully, lest he risk Misty's temper showing up. Feigning calmness as best he can, he starts running through a mental list in his head.

"Well," he begins to stall for time. "It definitely has to be a Water-type,"

She beams at him, and he's hoping that she can't feel how sweaty his palms are getting.

"Vaporeon is close to a mermaid, which you are," he says, noting her official Gym Leader epithet. "But I'd have to say…" _Shit, what does Feebas evolve into?_ Thoughts flash through his brain as he attempts to recall the name.

He can see Misty frowning slightly at him, and then it comes to him in a flash of inspiration. "Milotic! Yeah, definitely Milotic."

Misty smiles broadly, her eyes gleaming. "How romantic of you."

"I have my moments." Ash says, turning his attention back towards their environment, inwardly telling himself that there's no way he'll be able to pull off something like that again in the near future.

* * *

"Remember when we used to argue all the time?" Ash reminisces, stretched out along the couch, his legs across Misty's lap.

"'Used to'?" Misty asks, raising an eyebrow. "Ash, we had an argument two hours ago."

"That wasn't an argument," Ash says. "That was flirting,"

Misty laughs at the absurdity of his remark. "You think _that_ was flirting? I'd hate to see your idea of arguing."

"Arguing was questioning that I wasn't an Arceus-born Pokemon Master," Ash sits up, putting his face near hers and smiling. "You always doubted me."

Misty pushes him back down. "I doubted you when you were a complete and total idiot – which, by the way, was like eighty percent of the time."

Ash frowns, his mind working on a comeback. "But still, thirty percent of the time you had total faith in me."

"Twenty percent," Misty corrects him. "And even then you were pushing it."

Ash gestures down at their current situation. "Well, it worked, didn't it?"

Misty smirks and settles against the back of the couch. "Somehow, yes." Glancing at his smug expression she adds, "I wish I could hate you."

"No you don't." he says.

"No I don't." she agrees.

* * *

It's another one of those days: Ash getting caught up in some crazy event that involves Legendary Pokemon (of course) and being completely reckless and stupid.

Misty has to say something. She _has to_. Too many missed opportunities and wasted moments. She's not going to leave any regrets. Not this time.

"STOP!" she shouts, just before Ash climbs onto Charizard's back. He looks at back her, alarmed and confused.

"Misty, what–?"

"I have to tell you something," she says, feeling her heart pounding and hearing it echo in her ears over the roaring gales around them.

"Mist, it has to wait, I have to–"

"You have to listen to me," she snaps, shifting between worry and anger a little too quickly and smoothly for her liking. She grabs his shoulders and looks him dead in the eyes, sea-green meeting chocolate-brown. "I think I'm in love with you and I'm terrified."

There. She said it, it's out. Ash is staring at her, his expression unfathomable. She can only hope he feels even half as scared and frantic as she does right now.

"I'm terrified you're gonna run away, or get killed, or… or _reject me_ but I had to tell you." Misty wishes that his face could change even a little but she continues on. "So it's out. I told you." She takes her hands off his shoulders. "So… go on, then. Go save the world… like always."

She expects him to waste time talking to her, or to do as she said and fly off… what she _doesn't_ expect is for him to grab her shoulders and pull her into a sudden kiss that makes her feel as though the very ground is falling away from under her feet and Ash is the only thing keeping her upright.

 _Who cares if the world's ending?_ She finds herself thinking as they break apart, Ash smiling like the complete and total idiot he is. _He's gonna start it again. For us_.

* * *

"That guy at the bar keeps staring at you." May whispers to Misty as the two sit down next to Dawn and Ash respectively at their table.

Misty follows the brunette's gaze and tries to remember where she's seen the guy before. Ash is looking, too, though he's glaring daggers at the guy as he sips his drink.

"Do you know him from somewhere?" May asks. Misty shrugs, still trying to match the face to a name.

Now Dawn is looking, too, and she says a little too loudly, "It's that Gym Leader from the Orange Islands, isn't it? Rudy, right?"

Ash glares at Dawn as Rudy spots them and heads over to their table. Following quick introductions, he brazenly starts hitting on Misty while giving no attention to Ash. This, of course, sparks Ash's temper, but Misty ignores him and tells Rudy, "You can flirt all you want, but I'm spoken for."

She holds up her hand, a ring glinting on her finger. Rudy's eyes flicker between her and Ash (whose hand she's holding) and shrugs. When he turns to May and Dawn, however, they automatically hold up their hands, displaying their matching bands.

"And you didn't even have to battle him," Misty smirks, as Rudy sulks away.

Ash shrugs and chugs down the rest of his drink. "I already beat him once, I could do it again."

* * *

"Ash Ketchum, in what idiotic way did you fuck up this time?"

Ash winces at Misty's tone and choice of language but presses on in his explanation. "I'll admit, I flubbed my words a little, but think about it – we can make this work in our favor."

"We have to pretend to be married!" Misty snaps, her eyes narrowed in frustration and annoyance. "All because you don't know how to talk to reporters!"

"We've been together for a year now and have known each other longer than that, it's not _too_ out there–"

"Fix it." Misty demands.

Ash pales. "I, er… can't." He mumbles the rest: "The reporter'll be here in fifteen minutes."

"… Are you fucking kidding me?"

All things considered, the interview went reasonably well. For all her aggravation, Misty conducted herself with grace and poise (though Ash suspected that was only because she was driving her heel into his foot the entire time).

Eventually the reporter departs, and Misty shoots a venomous glare at Ash before stomping upstairs for the rest of the night. Ash hobbles over to the freezer to grab some ice and silently wonders how long he should wait before deciding to propose.

* * *

"If I die, I'm going to haunt you." says Misty one day out of nowhere.

Ash shoots her an alarming look. "You got your bike back." he says, wondering if she's back to holding that over his head.

She shakes her head, bright orange hair flying back and forth. "I'd just miss you too much."

Ash heaves a sigh of relief and smiles.

"Plus someone's got to prevent you from doing stupid shit when you go out on your own." she adds, smirking slightly at his crestfallen expression.

* * *

Misty is used to seeing marks on Ash's body: bruises, cuts, scrapes, all the sort of thing you'd expect to see on a Pokemon Trainer. But when she spies an actual drawing on his lower back she's immediately concerned.

"Ash," she says one night, watching him change into his pajamas. "Is that a tattoo?"

"Is what a tattoo?" he replies in the usual "Ash has no idea what's going on" tone. At least, she thinks, he wasn't trying to lie about it.

"That mark that clearly looks like a tattoo above your butt."

Ash is noticeably confused until he takes a look in the bathroom mirror. What follows next is an anguished yell and Ash diving across the bed, furiously punching buttons on his PokeGear.

"It was all part of this prank war he and Gary got themselves into," Dawn explains to Misty the next day after the redhead retells the tale. "Turns out Ash can't hold his liquor very well and one thing led to another…"

"Your boyfriends are idiots." says May matter-of-factly, and neither Dawn nor Misty bother to refute her.

* * *

A strangled gasp echoes from the bathroom. Misty looks up from her magazine to see Ash stumbling out in a hurry.

"What's wrong?" she asks.

His mouth open and closes like a fish gasping for water. "There's so much blood." he chokes out.

"Yeah, sorry," Misty says. "That's my fault, I'm having a bit of a heavy flow this month."

She sees him staring back in a mix of fear and blankness and suddenly realizes that they're going to have a rather awkward conversation in a moment.

* * *

One undisputable fact of the universe is that Ash cannot hold his liquor. So when he wakes up with a pounding headache and dry mouth he knows that Gary was to blame for this.

He attempts sitting up but can't, mainly due to the arm lying across his chest. Even his fogged-up brain knows that this arm isn't his, which triggers panic and confusion.

Glancing over to his left, he catches a flash of flame-orange hair. His panic lessens for a split-second before spiking to obscene levels. If his hangover won't kill him, she definitely will.

As luck would have it, Misty stirs and rolls over, eyes fluttering open. They stare at each other, Ash's heart threatening to break his ribcage. Then, inexplicably, Misty smiles.

"Mm, good morning," she says, her voice cheery and somewhat seductive.

"Higoodmorningpleasedon'tkillme,"

Misty frowns, easing herself upright, the bed sheet sliding down her chest. "Are you okay?"

"Yes… I mean, no. I don't–"

"You don't remember last night at all, do you?" Misty asks, knowing the answer even before Ash nods his head.

"Well, relax, you didn't do anything bad. You weren't _that_ drunk."

Ash accepts her words and his anxiety is reduced drastically. Misty slides over to him, pressing her body against his. "Though if you need a reminder~"

He wants to accept, he really does, but his head feels like it's going to explode so he convinces her to wait. He wants to able to properly experience everything, after all…

* * *

Misty slams her pen down on the table and glares over at the wall behind her. Loud music drifts through it, no doubt due to Ash leaving his alarm on this morning. She should've had him shut it off completely before he left…

She pushes back her chair and stomps over to their bedroom, preparing to enact righteous fury upon the alarm. When she grips the doorknob, however, she finds that it's locked. "What the fuck?"

To her surprise, Ash's voice comes from inside the bedroom. "Hey Mist,"

"Ash Ketchum, why are you not at work?"

"Took the day off." he answers, as calm as can be, which only irritates her further.

"Well," Misty says, trying to keep her voice level. "Turn off your alarm. I'm trying to work and it's distracting me."

"Oh yeah? Why don't you come over here and make me." He's taunting her. Worse, she knows he's intentionally getting her wound up.

The alarm ceases, and the door unlocks with a small _click._ Ash beams at her as the door opens, Misty glaring back. "You ought to take a break."

"What do you–" she stares past him and notices the darkened room, only just barely illuminated with numerous candles. The bed sheets are pulled back, exposing the bare mattress.

"Well?" he prompts, noticing her stare.

"Shut up," she growls, pulling him into a kiss via his shirt collar, closing the door shut behind her with her foot.

* * *

Misty notices Ash grimacing at his Poké Gear. "What's up?"

"Miette just texted me that she wants to visit, but I'm really not in the mood…" He sighs and rubs his forehead. "I wish I could just hide…"

Misty thinks for a moment and decides to do her boyfriend a favor. "I can arrange that."  
_

"Sacha is _absentéiste_?" ponders Miette as Misty greets her at the door. "Perhaps I should not 'ave texted after all…"

"He had an urgent errand to do for a friend," says Misty vaguely. "But I'm free if you'd like the company."

" _Merveilleux!"_

"Just let me get my bag," and Misty heads upstairs and opens the closet where Ash is hiding. "I'll see you later, I'll distract Miette for the day." She gives him a quick kiss before heading back out.

Ash peeks out the window, watching the two girls walk down the street. "True love is hiding your boyfriend," he says to himself.

* * *

It was another one of those days: Ash had gotten them lost and Misty's temper was flaring through. It didn't help that Ash's inflated head _insisted_ that they weren't lost despite Misty (and the map) claiming otherwise.

Then Ash opened his big mouth: "I wish you'd stop doubting me."

"I'm not 'doubting' you!" snapped Misty. "I'm saying you're flat-out wrong and we're gonna starve if we don't find civilization!"

"We're going to find it, because I'm going the right way."

"No you're not!"

This continued on for some time until Ash's stupidity incessed Misty so much that she crumpled up the map and threw it at his face, with tearful screaming that he needs to pull his head out of his ass and admit that he was wrong.

Ash's stomach plummeted as he watched her storm away. He just thought she was doing banter with him, like the old days… he hadn't realized the sincerity in her voice.

He found her sitting in the dirt, curled up and muttering harsh (yet readily deserved) words about him. She didn't look up as he approached so he kept his distance.

"I apologize for making you hate me." He said quietly. "I didn't realize how upset you were."

"I don't hate you." Misty replied, her voice flat and toneless. "I could never hate you. That's the problem."

"What do you–"

Misty stood up and looked at him, her eyes (and face) red. "I love you too much to let you do stupid shit anymore."

A tense and somewhat awkward silence passed as Ash digested this. "Oh. Well…" he scratched the back of his head. "What if I said I wouldn't do stupid shit anymore?"

"I'd have to see it to believe it," sniffed Misty, smiling despite herself, with a laugh at Ash's look of incredulity. But somewhere deep down she knew he meant it.

* * *

 _Tap tap tap_.

Misty turns over in her bed, attempting to ignore the sound at her window. She fails.

With an exaggerated sigh, she climbs out of bed and yanks her window open. "What?"

Ash grins at her sheepishly. "Hey Mist."

"What could you possibly want at this time?" Misty growls, looking at the illuminated face of her clock reading 4:14 AM.

Ash pulls himself through the window and Misty has a split-second urge to shove him back out. "Wanna go get a sundae?"

"Who are you?!" Misty hisses. "Who crawls through someone's window at four AM to go for ice cream?! Aside from you?!"

"Hark who's talking, Miss Sweet Tooth." Ash waves a coupon in her face. "I wanted to take you out someplace nice for your birthday–"

"At four in the morning?!"

"… Yeah." Ash says, as if it's the most obvious thing in the world and _she's_ the idiot for questioning it. "I would've been here earlier but I came all this way on foot…"

Misty sighs again and cradles her head against her hand. "You're not leaving until I agree to come, are you?"

"Nope."

"Happy birthday to me," she mutters, heading to the bathroom to change.

* * *

Misty is sitting up on the couch reading when Ash comes home from an evening out with friends. "Hey Mist," he says, taking off his coat.

"Kiss me, quick!" the redhead says, and leaps out to snag her boyfriend's lips before he has a chance to respond.

"What was that about?" he gasps when they separate, his face flushed red.

Misty licks her lips, beaming. "I wanted to see what you had for dinner." she says, plopping back down on the couch. "I love that pasta dish."

Ash is baffled at how she managed to deduce that but it was really hot so he doesn't say anything.

* * *

"Okay, I'm here," Misty says, watching Ash pace circles around the living room rug. "What's this big favor you need?"

"I need you to pretend we're dating…" Ash blurts out, his face stricken with fear.

"… Okay," says Misty slowly. "Why?"

"I, er… may have said something during an interview I wasn't supposed to."

Misty points out the obvious flaw in this plan: "Ash, we've been dating for a while now, why do we need to pretend?"

He reflects on that. "Er… because we said we weren't comfortable going public yet?"

"Yes," sighs Misty. "But wouldn't it be easy to _say_ we're dating rather than pretending to be dating when we actually are?"

"… I guess so." Ash says. "I dunno why I didn't think of that…"

Misty chalks it up to being panicked, but goes along with the whole thing. She's not really surprised when May calls her a few weeks later with the news that the magazine issue has gone out of print.

* * *

Misty taps her pencil against the table, frowning at the blank application in front of her.

"What's that?" Ash inquires.

"There's an open spot for the Elite Four at Indigo Plateau," Misty explains, not looking up. "I've been thinking of applying but I don't know if it's the right move for me. What if I end up hating it?"

"It's not whether you were right or wrong, but how much faith you were willing to have, that decides the future." Ash says simply.

There's a pause as Misty stares at him with a raised eyebrow. He stares back, a mix of pride and confusion on his face.

"That's way too smart for you," says Misty. "Where did you hear that?"

"… Fortune cookie."

She sighs and fills out the application anyways, thinking she can always turn down the position if she decides against it later.

* * *

Ash and Misty barely drink. It's rare for them to find something they find tasty, and even then they don't drink too much. But on the extraordinary occasion that they do drink, and subsequently get drunk, they are giggly drunks.

Tonight, safe in their apartment bedroom, Ash and Misty are attempting to enjoy themselves despite their (slight) inebriation.

"So, what do you have in store for me, Mister Pokemon Master?" giggles Misty from her spot on the bed, slightly red in the face.

"You're going to love this, trust me." slurs Ash, and he gestures down at himself. "What you're seeing now is my normal state. And this…" He pulls off his shirt. "… is to go even further beyond."

He expects Misty to be impressed, at least in a flirtatious way, so the mood is ruined when she doubles over, laughing her butt off at his (admittedly drunk) attempt to seduce her.

* * *

Energetic pounding on the front door rouses Ash from his nap. With a stretch and a yawn he gets up from the couch and yanks it open, only to be greeted with Misty's flushed and out-of-breath face.

"Ash," she gasps, holding up a neatly-folded letter. "Did you send this to me?"

Rubbing his eyes, Ash peers at the letter. It's somewhat-hastily scrawled, but sings praises of Misty's recent recognition by the Indigo League of her management of the Cerulean Gym.

"Yeah," he says, unable to restrain another yawn. He almost wishes she had waited until he was awake, but the look of pride on her face is too good.

"I almost can't believe you had it in you!" beams Misty. "I could kiss you right now!" And without further restraint she throws her arms around his neck and plants her lips full onto his, jolting Ash out of his drowsiness.

Then she pulls away all too soon, grinning ear to ear. "Thanks Ash."

"N-no problem, Mist," he stammers, suddenly aware of how flustered he's become. "Um… wanna come in?" He says, stepping aside to let her pass so they can discuss the letter more privately.

* * *

Once, after an argument and Misty had stormed away in a huff, she returned wearing Ash's old Pokemon League hat. Ash wasn't sure if he was supposed to be offended or not.

"You kept it," he observes matter-of-factly, noticing how proud Misty is that she's showing off that hat.

"Yeah, I did," she says, a bite to her voice, a frown creasing her face. "But you're supposed to be upset that I'm wearing it!"

Ash looks at her quizzically. "How dare you?"

She throws the hat at him. "You loved this hat, you idiot, you're supposed to be upset that I'm wearing it!"

"Wha–Mist, I _gave_ you that hat, so I don't care if you wear it or not."

"Forget it," Misty scowls, stalking away again, leaving behind a very confused Ash holding the old, worn hat. He still doesn't understand girls…

* * *

" _I miss you_ ," Misty's voice says through Ash's PokeGear. " _I'm sorry I had to miss out on the camping trip…_ "

"Me too," Ash replies. "It's not the same without you here. How's the League seminar?"

" _Dull. Lance is such a bore sometimes… but,_ " she adds, a hint of flirtatiousness melding into her voice. " _It gives me plenty of time to fantasize about you~"_

Ash feels himself grinning. "Do tell…"

They spend some time on that topic, and it's not until Ash hears a twig snapping behind him that he realizes he wasn't alone. His blood running cold, he turns around to find Cilan smiling at him.

"H-How long have you been standing there?" Ash chokes out.

"Long enough," beams Cilan. "Hi Misty," he adds, raising his voice.

" _Hi Cilan…"_ moans Misty's embarrassed voice.

"Lunch is ready," Cilan tells Ash as he walks away, smirking, leaving him standing there still holding his PokeGear against his face. A _click_ on the other end tells him that Misty has hung up and probably won't be calling back until the trip is over.

* * *

It had been a great surprise when Ash showed up at the Cerulean Gym. But turnabout was fair play, Misty supposed, after her surprising him when the Pokemon School visited Kanto…

They talked for the entire day, Pikachu curled up contently in Misty's lap as the two Trainers reminisced about their traveling days. There was so much discussion, in fact, that Ash hadn't realized the time.

"Yikes, it's really late," he says, looking at the clock hanging on the wall. "I should get home…"

"It'll be three in the morning by the time you get to Pallet," replies Misty, shaking her head. She pauses, then hesitates slightly before asking, "Do you want to stay over tonight?"

She doesn't know if she should be relieved or frustrated that Ash doesn't get flustered. "Yeah, probably for the best," he says. "But hey, it'll be just like old times."

They set up in Misty's room, she in her bed, Ash in a sleeping bag on the floor. It's no surprise that Ash falls asleep first, so she spends some time admiring his resting form before turning over to get some much-needed sleep herself.

* * *

"You've been making a lot of friends," Misty observes as Ash finishes up a video call with his Alola Pokemon School classmates. "You sure are popular."

Leaning back in his seat, Ash flashes her a smile. "Knowing you has made me a better person."

"With how childish you can be, I'm not surprised." she replies with a smirk, responding to his pouting by ruffling his hair. "I like to think I did the world a favor."

"Maybe not so much for me."

"'Oh no'," mocks Misty. "'I'm a better person and people like my company.' What a shame." And she spins on her heel, adding a sway to her hips as she walks off because she knows he's staring after her.

* * *

As usual, the cafeteria at the Melemele Pokemon School was bustling with activity. The din of chatter was always louder than the sound of utensils and plastic trays, making any conversation hard to overhear.

Misty sits in the back, watching all the Trainers-slash-students enjoy their break from studying. She's so absorbed in this that she doesn't notice someone say, "Could I sit here? All the other tables are full."

She looks up and sees Ash smirking at her, Pikachu perched on his shoulder. "You didn't have to ask," she says, gesturing to the seat across from her, trying not to make it obvious that her heart skipped a beat.

Ash plops himself down, Pikachu leaping over to sit on Misty's lap. "Didn't want you to feel left out."

Misty's face heats up but she smiles. "Appreciate it."

After being apart for so long, there's something nostalgic about watching Ash scarf down his lunch, even after being apart for so long. Sometimes she thinks it's a miracle that she fell in love with him in the first place.

* * *

It's the middle of the night when Ash stumbles into Misty's room, clutching his stomach.

"Wazzgoinnon?" mumbles Misty, sitting up and blinking the weariness from her eyes.

"My stomach hurts," Ash moans, standing next to her bed. "I think I'm pregnant."

Misty looks at Ash's stomach and notices it's a lot larger than usual. But she knows better than that. "You're a guy, you can't get pregnant."

"… Dammit." Ash says, and pulls out the pillow he had stuffed under his shirt. "Well, it still hurts… can I crash here?"

Misty's too exhausted to argue so she scoots over to make room for him to lie in bed next to her. Vaguely she wonders which of them will end up on the floor in the morning…

* * *

Ash's voice calls down the stairs. "Uh, Mist? Would you mind coming up here for a second?"

Misty sets down her book and makes her way up to the bathroom. There she finds Ash standing in the middle of the room, looking sheepish. One of his arms is in a cast, an unwelcome souvenir from a recent adventure.

"I, uh… need some help with taking a shower." he says, nodding at his cast.

Despite his insistence, Misty decides to join him to make it easier on them both. It's admittedly fun, watching him squirm and blush, strangely resolute in keeping his back to her.

Misty watches as Ash attempts to apply shampoo with one good arm. With a roll of her eyes, she squirts some shampoo in her hands. "Just relax," she whispers, pressing her chest against his back, relishing the fact that she can make him shudder like this. "I'll wash your hair for you."

Needless to say, it was one of those those showers where they felt dirtier coming out than they did going in.

* * *

It's a rare occurrence when Ash does something romantic, but that only means that Misty enjoys those moments all the more. Tonight, for instance, he had taken her up to Mount Moon for a night of stargazing.

"Gotta say," Misty says, lying on her back on a grassy hill, fingers interlaced with Ash's. "Didn't think you had it in you."

"I'm full of surprises." chuckles Ash. "Hey, look!" He points up to the inky-black sky at a small dot streaking across. "Make a wish!"

Misty watches the object move. "It's actually a comet, but I'll still make one." She closes her eyes for a moment, and once she opens them again, Ash asks her what she wished for.

"Can't tell you," she says, winking. "Or it won't come true."

Ash pouts, but as Misty snuggles closer she thinks to herself that she didn't really need to wish for anything: it'd be more fun to keep him guessing.

* * *

It's already been a bad day for Misty: she hadn't heard her alarm go off and was almost late to the Gym, and for some reason every other challenger was under the impression that they could easily defeat her (an assumption that was quickly put to rest by Starmie and Mega Gyarados).

So when she comes home and finds Miette of all people talking to a very uncomfortable-looking Ash, she knows things aren't bound to improve.

"Ah, Ondine," Miette says with an all-too-innocent smile. "It ees so good to see you again! Sacha and I were just talking about you."

"Big surprise," says Misty duly, relieved that Ash is immensely glad to see her. "Though I must ask you to not sit so close to him."

Then Miette makes a mistake and grins flirtatiously. "Come over 'ere and make me."

Needless to say, Miette discovers just why the Cascade Badge is so difficult to earn these days.

* * *

Misty isn't much of an Internet person. It's usually because she's so busy running the Cerulean Gym, but overall it doesn't appeal to her too much. So she's surprised when May and Dawn had each called her up, warning her about some unscrupulous rumors that are floating around online.

"It's ridiculous!" Misty tells Ash later during a frustrated rant. "People are saying that I was 'abusive' or 'unnecessary' and that me being there didn't make a difference–"

Ash, who had been letting her vent without argument, interrupts. "It made a difference to me."

Misty stops and stares at him. He stares back, nonplussed. It's in that moment that Misty realizes that there's only one person's opinion that really matters to her and her heart lightens considerably.

She sighs and apologizes, but Ash tells her that it's totally understandable. "Besides," he adds with a laugh. "They're always saying much worse things about me, but they're just cowards."

"We can take 'em," Misty agrees, feeling the weight of her Key Stone on her hairband.

* * *

Misty reflects on the adage of men appearing more confident when in a relationship as she watches Ash's head inflate from talking to a (female) fan. He scribbles a signature and waves goodbye as the fan happily runs off.

"I hope you're proud of yourself," Misty says curtly.

"I usually am," says Ash, but then he spends a moment analyzing her tone. "Wait a minute… are you jealous?"

Misty shrugs but doesn't bother telling Ash otherwise. He throws an arm around her shoulder. "Misty, have you ever known me to go after other women?"

"Giselle,"

Ash sighs. "It's been years, can we move that past?"

Misty glances back. "That fan wasn't her, was it? I wasn't really paying attention…"

"We're fine, Mist. Promise."

Misty says nothing. To Ash's credit, he had good points… and he hasn't been one to break his promises…

* * *

"I have a question for you," Misty says as she and Ash are walking through Cerulean City doing some window-shopping. "Those things you said yesterday… Did you mean them?"

She's referring to Ash's speech from last night, where Misty was being honored at the Indigo League for her outstanding work as a Gym Leader.

Ash looks at her incredulously. "What makes you think I wouldn't?"

She shrugs. "Sometimes it's just hard to tell when you're sincere or not."

"Mist," Ash says, putting an arm around her waist. "If we're not having our childish banter, I'm always sincere about you."

Misty smiles. "Couldn't have said that years ago, huh?" she teases, kissing his cheek.

"Says the pot to the kettle," Ash responds, setting off a chain of "banter" that lasts until they make it back home.

* * *

"NO!" Ash's wail of despair fills the living room. Misty pokes her head in to find her boyfriend staring in open-mouthed disbelief at the "Game Over" screen displayed on the TV.

"What happened?" she asks, halfway between concern and laughter.

"I got blindsided!" Ash says, glaring at the screen. "Something just came from off-screen and killed me!"

"Well," says Misty. "You can start over."

"I can't start over again." Ash looks up at her, embarrassment mingling with his indignant frustration. "I… hadn't saved in a while."

"Yes you can," says Misty gently. "Would you like me to sit with you?"

"… If you want," Ash grumbles, picking up the controller and selecting "Continue". He doesn't like Misty seeing him get upset, but if anything, her presence will help keep him calm…

… As long as she doesn't keep back-seating like she tends to…

* * *

Two wet bodies crawl up to shore, dragging up a third. Misty moves some wet hair out of her eyes and turns to Ash's unconscious form lying right next to her. Instinctively, without caring of Pikachu, Tracey, and Melody nearby, she pinches Ash's nose and puts her mouth to his, inhaling into his mouth.

"Wake up!" she mutters, sitting back up and starting to compress his chest. "Please, please wake up!"

The sounds of Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres clashing in the sky above echo hollowly in her ears. Tracey and Melody are talking but she can't hear anything, focusing intently on waking up the idiot who got them all involved in this mess…

"Nrgh…" Ash stirs, his eyes fluttering open. "What…?"

Misty looks at him with relief and surprise. _Oh thank god, thank god…_ She didn't want to think what would've happened if her effort was for naught… She had to refrain from throwing herself into his arms (partly because he was already getting up to find that orb)…

There's a brief moment where Misty's standing at his back and silently vows to not let that be the only view she gets to see him by… She doesn't mind that he's off to save the world, it's leaving her behind that's frustrating…


	2. Pokeshipping Week 2017

My works (because apparently I can't call them "drabbles") for Pokeshipping Week 2017.

* * *

 **Day 1: Fishing**

"This is boring…" Ash whines, leaning to lie on his back, fishing rod still in hand.

"No one said you had to come along," Misty snaps, still sitting cross-legged patiently, not bothering to even glance at him.

The two Trainers are sitting on Route 1, at the same pond that Misty had pulled Ash and Pikachu out of many years ago. It's a lazy Sunday, though Ash is demonstrating the contrast between lethargicness and impatience. Pikachu, to his credit, is emulating Misty's current easygoing mood, while keeping a wary eye on Azurill swimming nearby in the river.

Ash watches the clouds drift along the clear blue sky for a moment before Misty's voice shatters his procrastination.

"Why'd you come with me, anyways?" she asks, focusing intently on her line sitting in the calm water.

"I thought you could use the company," Ash replies, still flat on his back.

"Not if you're gonna complain the entire time," Misty says, shooting him a sideways glance. She has to admit, his company isn't entirely unwelcome: she didn't decide on the fishing spot until he announced he was coming along. Then again, she wonders vaguely if he'd ever pick up on the connection…

"Well, if things would be biting, I'd be more attentive," Ash tells her, sitting upright and tossing his lure back into the water where it lands with a _plunk_. He shoots her a smirk. "Though I wonder how many things you pulled up before me that day."

 _Ah, so he_ does _remember_ , she thinks, feeling her face heat up in a way that has nothing to do with the sun shining down on them. "Nothing else stole my bike that day."

"You got your bike back," Ash reminds her, bristling indignantly. "How long are you going to hold that over my head?"

"As long as I want," Misty says, smirking at his pouting expression. "But as long as you don't do it again," she adds, nodding to the orange bike leaning against a tree. "I'll be okay."

Ash says nothing, glaring daggers at his inactive lure. Misty stretches out a bit, one hand keeping a steady grip on her fishing rod. Another perk to having Ash join is the fact that there's no shortage of entertaining conversation between them… though her mind wanders towards fantasies of _other_ things they could be doing while waiting for a hooked bite… though perhaps one of these days, if they ever decide to be more forward…

* * *

 **Day 2: Jealousy**

It's really quite annoying, Misty thinks, listening to the high-pitched squeals of all the fangirls swarming around Ash after his League battle. She watches from the dugout, chin in her hand, decidedly unimpressed at both the fangirls' efforts to attract Ash's attention and Ash's efforts to withdraw himself from the commotion.

"Having fun?" she asks dryly as Security finally manages to get between Ash and the crowd, with Ash himself reaching her. "Do you need a pen or something for all those autographs?"

Ash tries to not look so pleased with himself and fails. "They weren't asking me for anything like that…"

Misty doesn't even want to think about what they were after. "Shall I leave you can hang out with your fan club?"

"Please don't," he says, laughing nervously. Then he finally notices her attitude. "Were you jealous of all that?" He asks, expression torn between concern and glee.

"No," she scoffs all too quickly, pretending to busy herself with her bag so he doesn't pick up on the fact that her face is turning red. As if she'd stoop so low to be jealous of whiny teenage girls with posters of Ash on their walls… "I know you enjoy all that attention."

Ash sits himself down next to her, Pikachu hopping off his shoulder. "No… well, okay, yeah, a little bit." He pauses, scratching the back of his neck. "But I don't really care about their attention."

"That doesn't sound like you," Misty laughs, perhaps a little bitterly, turning back to face him.

He shrugs. "I mean, I do like the attention, but…" Now his face is the one that's turning red. "They're not the people I want it from."

A moment passes, Pikachu looking back and forth between the two of them. The chattering of the crowd fills the silence until Ash speaks again.

"Those girls can shower me with as much affection as they want," he says, paying more attention to the ground. "But they're not you."

Misty blinks, processing this information. "I have to admit," she says, standing up, bag in one hand. "That's very mature of you." She offers her other hand to him, smiling at the look on his face. "C'mon, let's get you and your Pokemon some lunch. My treat."

She spends the duration of the meal watching him again, but with a much happier and prouder gaze this time. She won't admit it outright (at least not in public), but Ash saying her only wants her attention makes her feel rather special…

* * *

 **Day 3: Free Day - Pickup Lines**

It's a bit of a surprise when Misty finds Ash waiting in the lobby of the Cerulean Gym at the end of her day. He smiles and waves as she approaches, and she realizes there's neither a hat nor a Pikachu perching on his head.

"What are you doing here?" she asks after giving him a hug. "Didn't you have something going on with Gary today?"

"Wasn't that long," he shrugs, taking her hand and leading her out the door. "So I thought I'd walk you home."

"How gentlemanly of you," Misty smirks, but is glad he's taking steps to at least appear romantic.

They make small talk for the first bit, enjoying the cool afternoon breeze. Then, during a lull in the conversation, Ash coughs quietly before saying, "Are you a Hitmonlee?"

"Mm?" says Misty, having not heard due to being lost in thought. "I'm sorry?"

"Are you a Hitmonlee?"

She stares at him, an eyebrow raised. "No… why?"

"Because your body is kickin'."

Misty continues staring at him. He seems confused about her reaction and tries again: "You must know Tail Whip, because your beauty's leaving my defenseless."

"… Ash, are you okay?"

"… Huh?"

"Are you okay?" she repeats. "Are you having a stroke or something?"

Now he's the one staring blankly at her. "You… you don't like these?"

Misty frowns. "Like what? What were you even saying?"

"They're, er… pickup lines." He turns away from her slightly, the slightest hint of a blush creeping along his face. "Gary told me about them…"

Misty continues staring at him before bursting out into laughter, doubling over and clutching her stomach. Ash watches her with incensed bewilderment until she straightens up, still giggling, wiping tears from her eyes.

"Oh Ash… those are so lame! Why did you think those would work?"

"… Gary said they would," Ash replies, bristling with indignation.

"Ash, Gary would tell you to ride a unicycle naked if it amused him." Misty continues to giggle but loops her arm through his. "But thanks for the laugh."

"Wasn't supposed to be funny," Ash grumbled, looking thoroughly sour.

They continue walking, in silence this time until Pallet Town appears over the horizon. Misty turns to her boyfriend and says, "Cheer up, Ash. I'm going to give you an Everstone."

"… An Everstone?"

Misty kisses his cheek softly. "Because I like you just the way you are."

* * *

 **Day 4: Lost Together**

Ash nods at the impressive tree standing before him. "Uh-huh… yup. Okay," he says, patting the trunk. "We've definitely been past this tree before."

"That's not a good sign," sighs Misty, a hand to her forehead. "It's a sign you've gotten us lost, if anything."

"We're not lost," Ash assures her. "I know exactly where we are."

"Yeah? Do tell, Mister Cartographer."

He sweeps an arm in front of him, indicating the spot of wood they're standing in. "We're right here."

"We don't know where 'here' is!" Misty replies, half-ashamed that she got roped into coming along with him. "But it's going to be the site of your grave if you don't find us a way to civilization!"

Pikachu, atop his usual spot on Ash's head, sniffs the air curiously. His Trainer and Misty, however, are too busy trading jabs to notice: Ash attempts to calm Misty with some light-hearted jokes, but she's having none of his foolishness.

"Ash Ketchum, I'm tired, hungry, and it's going to get dark soon. I'd very much rather find a hotel than have to share an acre with some Arceus-forsaken Bug-types!"

"They won't kill you… though, if you try to off them first, they'd retaliate –"

"Why would I go after them first?! And don't change the subject!"

Growing tired of their flirting, Pikachu zaps them both with Thunderbolt. Now charred and smoking slightly, they focus their attention on him: ("I can smell exhaust fumes down the road,") he says, an edge to his normally chipper voice. ("So if you two lovebirds are done with your courtship, we can get a roof over our heads.")

Shamed and embarrassed by the Pokemon, Ash and Misty politely ask him to guide them out of the forest. Ash takes the chance to take Misty's hand in his, shooting her a look before she can protest. The redhead tells herself to withdraw once they've reached the next town, but "accidently" forgets until they're gotten to the Pokemon Center…

* * *

 **Day 5: Pain from Non-Existent Memories (M20 Verse)**

It was another dumb, dull, boring day at the Cerulean Gym. Sensational Sister Number Four, Misty, sits in her room, chair pulled up by the window. Her chin in her hand, the redhead stares blankly out at the expanse of grass, trees, and paved roads that checker her hometown.

Elsewhere in the Gym, she knows her sisters are busy, either gossipping or practicing for their water shows. They were never one for Pokemon battles, but they'd rather die than allow Misty to take command of the Gym…

Misty sighs, her breath fogging up the glass. If only she could get out of here… there's no doubt there's a wide world out there, just waiting for her… but alas, here she sits. She should've gone fishing today, but she woke up in a bad mood this morning and had little motivation to do anything.

Then, out of nowhere, like a bolt of lightning, an image flashes vividly through her mind, disappearing as suddenly as it appeared. She had been walking along somewhere with a boy… a boy with a hat and a Pokemon on his shoulder…

 _What the heck…?_ Misty shakes her head, as though attempting to clear out her brain to provide more space for the image to reappear. It had to have just been a daydream, she decides. Yes, a figment of imagination, brought on by her desire to travel…

But was it, though? She sits back fully in the chair, casting out her mind as though the image was a Water-type she could lure and reel in. Misty had never seen someone like that before in her life, ever… yet, somehow, there was an air of familiarity about him…

Misty frowns. She wasn't aware until now that her heart was hammering in her chest. The more she tries to recall the image, the more her heart sears with pain. She tries to push it out from her mind but the mere idea of it continues to worm its way into her brain.

"This… this is nuts," She tells herself, standing up. "Why am I thinking about someone – a boy, at that – whom I've never even met?" Maybe she's just hungry and having delusions. Hallucinations. Yes, that's it. She just needs to eat something…

But as Misty steps towards her bedroom door, it happens again: another image bolts into her head… it's the same boy as before, and she's with him again… scolding him about her bike, its charred remains hoisted on her shoulders…

"What the –"

Then it happens again. And again. _And again_. They fall against her psyche, raindrops during a fierce storm: dancing during a summer festival; a small Pokemon hatching from an egg; angry, red-faced arguments; diving into icy-cold water to drag the boy to shore…

The images overwhelm her. The frantic beating of her heart echoes in her ears, and her blood runs cold. She can't quite put the sensation to words, but… it's almost as if (and she felt ridiculous for admitting it) these were _memories_. Memories that she was _supposed to_ be experiencing, living through…

Misty turns from her bedroom door to her bed and crawls onto it. There's a heaviness in her heart… it feels like something – a deity, some supernatural entity – is piling on regret and shame for not experiencing life in a certain way…

 _You can stop now!_ she screams in her head at the images, now jumping by on repeat. _I get it, I… I can't take it, just… please…_

But they don't. Soon it all becomes too much to bare and Misty breaks, squeezing her pillow, tears falling down her face. She bites her lip to keep from crying out so her sisters don't overhear and come in to mock her.

And to drive the knife in further, a tiny voice in the back of her head says, _If you were with this boy, he'd help you…_

 _But I don't know_ , Misty pleads. _I don't know who he is…! I… I wish I did, but… I don't, and it hurts… oh god, it hurts…!_

It's a long while before Misty finally falls asleep, exhausted from the emotional turmoil. Her pillowcase is stained with tears and snot and her last conscious thought is hoping against hope that she's never at the mercy of a cruel god that would tease her with something that could've happened… even, if not in this universe, but a different one…

* * *

 **Day 6: Pikachu's Role in Ash & Misty's Relationship**

The comfortable silence of Pikachu's afternoon nap was shattered as the voices of Ash and Misty steadily increased in volume.

"– complete irresponsible. I can't believe you thought that was –"

"– not my fault, and I don't see what the big deal –"

Pikachu turned over on his side. Maybe if he ignored them enough, they'd shut up and let him continue sleeping…

"– deal is it seems like you're not taking this seriously –"

"– insulted that you'd say that. This is the first time –"

Not even folding his ears down accomplished the arduous task of blocking out their argument. Ash must've screwed up really bad…

"– doesn't feel like you care –"

"– do, but this was a rare opportunity –"

Their voices were practically right above him; they must've come into the bedroom, oblivious to Pikachu curled up on the bed. But if they were going to argue right here, Pikachu would have none of it.

("KNOCK IT OFF!") he exploded, shocking both Ash and Misty with a rage-fueled Thunderbolt. Blackened and smoking slightly, the two Trainers turned their gaze towards Pikachu, looking shocked and embarrassed. Pikachu, on the other hand, was not as bashful.

("Arguing is one thing,") he snapped. ("But doing it in front of me is a stupid mistake!")

"I'm sorry, Pikachu," said Misty with sincerity.

"Didn't see you there," mumbled Ash, rubbing the back of his neck.

("So what the heck is going on?") the Mouse Pokemon asked, sitting upright on the bed, arms folded. He looked accusingly between the two of them as they exchanged glances, unsure of who should start talking.

Misty ended up going first: "We had set up a date to have a late breakfast, and Ash was late –"

"I ran into a Trainer and got into a battle!" interrupted Ash, addressing Pikachu and thus Misty rolling her eyes was out of his sight. "That's completely reasonable –"

"I felt ignored, Ash!" Misty shot back, fury in her voice. "This told me you'd rather blow me off than miss a battle –"

Pikachu's cheeks sparked warningly, and they both quieted down. ("Ash, you realize why Misty is upset, right?")

"Yeah, but –"

("AND that you have to reshuffle your priorities a bit now that you and Misty are together?") his Pokemon continued as if he wasn't interrupted.

"… Yeah." said Ash, half-guilty, half-annoyed.

("Misty,") Pikachu continued. ("I know Ash was stupid, but I think it's important that you remember that Ash will get into random battles from time to time.")

"Right," said Misty, though privately she thought that Ash should have excused himself so this whole thing wouldn't have happened in the first place.

Pikachu nodded. ("Okay… think you two can talk the rest of this out quietly?")

They managed, somehow: in fact, they reconciled in such a nonverbal way that Pikachu was forced to settle onto the living room couch into another nap. At least until his second attempt was interrupted with less aggressive, though still rambunctious, noises emanating from the bedroom.

("Man…") Pikachu groaned, pressing a throw pillow over his head. He'd really rather not have to talk to them about _that_ …

* * *

 **Day 7: Midnight Conversations**

" _Psst_ … Misty. … Misty!"

"Mmph…"

"Misty, wake up."

"Lemme 'lone or I'll hurt you."

"I can't sleep."

"So… you decided to make it so I couldn't sleep either?"

"Er…"

" _Sigh_ … what's up, Ash?"

"I can't sleep."

"Yes, I gathered that…"

"Well… I wanted to see if you'd just talk to me until I got tired."

"… You think I'm boring?"

"… What? No–"

"Or could it be that you find my voice peaceful?"

"… Sure."

"… So did you have a nightmare, or are you just not tired enough?"

"I just can't get my mind to settle down."

"That's a new one."

"C'mon, Misty… I just feel uneasy about something."

"What could you, of all people, be feeling uneasy about? … Did you eat too much at dinner?"

"Misty…"

"I saw you scarfing down all those hot dogs, I almost got sick just watching you…"

"Cut it out."

"So what's bothering you?"

"… Okay, I think it is my stomach."

"Then why didn't you say so in the first place?!"

"I didn't want you to think I was being stupid–"

"Ash, nine times out of ten I _know_ you're being stupid."

"That's a little unfair…"

"Not really. … Alright, come here."

"Huh?"

"Come here so I can give you a back rub, that might help you relax."

"… How will rubbing my back help with my stomach?"

"You're probably more nervous about being sick in the first place, so if you're relaxed you won't feel as sick."

"Alright…"

"Here we go…"

"… ! Oof… that's it…"

"I told you… wow, you're really tense."

"I spent all day with you, of course I'm tense."

"One more jab, Ketchum, and I swear…"

"Alright, alright…"

"… … … Okay, how's that, Ash? … Ash?"

"Snkk… snzzz… zzz…"

"… Good night, Ash. You goofball…"


End file.
